Bruin cruisin' at Lonigans in downtown Estes Park

Large bear enters downtown nightclub

A large bear went unnoticed Thursday evening after it wandered into Lonigans Saloon Nightclub and Grill through an open back door. (Daniel Lyell /)

This bear wandered into Lonigans in downtown Estes Park about 9:15 p.m. on July 18. (Daniel Lyell / Courtesy Photo)

An unusual guest did a little bar hopping last week in downtown Estes Park. A large bear popped into Lonigans Saloon Nightclub and Grill on July 18 about 9:15 p.m. sniffed around for a while and left without anyone in the saloon even noticing the large and furry visitor.

If not for the sharp eye of a passing pedestrian on his way home from work, the unusual guest may have gone completely unnoticed - at least until security camera footage was reviewed by the saloon owner.

"Nobody even knew it was there," said Lonigans' owner David Callahan. "I just missed seeing it. I was cleaning up and had just taken out the trash."

Callahan said his bartender also just missed running into the bear after she had gone to the rear of the saloon.

"She just missed it," said Callahan.

Daniel Lyell had the sharp eye, spotting the bear while on his way home from work.

"I was walking home from work and ran into a bear in the Upper Wiest Lot," Lyell said. "He went from dumpster to dumpster as I stayed a safe distance away. I wanted a photo, and before I knew it, he was headed into Lonigan's. I went in after him and tried to alert the patrons by yelling, 'bear' but no one noticed. I called for the bear when he was just about to enter the middle bar area. He hesitated and then listened to me the second time. He turned around and went out the door behind me."

Callahan said the noise from the front of saloon probably kept the patrons from noticing the warning.

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"We had a little bit of a crowd and the music might have been loud," said Callahan. "Nobody even knew he was there. We just missed the two minutes of excitement."

Callahan said this is the second time he knows of that a bear has entered the saloon - both times through the rear entrance where the doors are often open in the summer hours to help keep the bar area cool. Callahan said the first time occurred four or five years ago at almost the same spot in the saloon.

"I almost bopped him on the nose," Callahan remembered.

He said the bear was near a set of double doors, standing on its hind legs looking into the bar area when Callahan was heading toward the back of the saloon. Callahan estimated that bear at over six foot tall when standing on its hind legs. Last Thursday's visitor was also on the large size, Callahan estimated its size at about 350 pounds after looking at the security video.

Callahan said some "door" changes were in order following this second bruin visit.

"We've always had the back door open for the breeze," he said. "People can and do enter from the back but from here on out, the middle doors are going to be closed."

Callahan said those middle doors have to be pulled open from the outside, not pushed open.

"Just want to let our customers know we're not closed, just closed to bears," he said with a laugh.

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